EPS slams Stalin over Shivakumar campaign amid Mekedatu row, calls it ‘betrayal’

TRICHY: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday criticised chief minister M K Stalin for sharing the campaign stage with Karnataka deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar, calling it a "betrayal" of Tamil Nadu's interests over the Cauvery issue. Campaigning in Thanjavur and Tiruvarur, Palaniswami alleged that Shivakumar's push for the proposed Mekedatu dam across the Cauvery posed a serious threat to the state's delta region."Shivakumar is determined to implement the Mekedatu dam project. If it is constructed, the delta region will turn into a desert. Stalin campaigning alongside a man who has sworn to stop the Cauvery waters meant for us amounts to a betrayal of Tamil Nadu," he said in Thanjavur. He also referred to Stalin's visit to Bengaluru in July 2023 for an opposition meeting. "Even at that meeting, Stalin did not raise the issue of releasing Cauvery waters for Tamil Nadu's delta region, which was in urgent need of irrigation. Instead, he discussed election alliances," Palaniswami alleged. Accusing Stalin of prioritising "family rule" over governance, he asked, "Is he going to save Tamil Nadu, its people, and its agriculture?" Palaniswami further criticised the chief minister for not meeting distressed farmers. "Stalin had time to watch a movie for three hours. He now has time to canvass for votes and sip tea in shops. But he did not meet farmers in person, even though he calls himself a ‘Deltakaaran'," he said. Palaniswami campaigned for party candidates in the two districts. He was joined by AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran, marking their first joint appearance in the campaign. Addressing the gathering, Dhinakaran described their past differences as a "sibling rivalry." "Some people are afraid seeing us together. We have set aside our differences and come together under the NDA to oust the DMK from power. We have joined forces to form an ‘Amma' government in Tamil Nadu under ‘annan' Palaniswami," he said.